by Katie Navarra
Poultry are relatively easy to raise and do well with basic food, water and shelter.
While it’s fairly simple to raise poultry it is important to be prepared, plan ahead and do some research prior to bringing chicks or older birds to your property.
First, you’ll have to decide if you’re raising a laying flock or a broiler flock or a combination of the two.
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by T.W. Burger
On June 10, the federal Food & Drug Administration said it may be backing down from a policy that cheese-makers would no longer be able to age their cheese on wooden boards.
The policy change was announced in Forbes Magazine and other media outlets:
“The FDA does not have a new policy banning the use of wooden shelves in cheese-making, nor is there any FSMA requirement in effect that addresses this issue,” the announcement read. “Moreover, the FDA has not taken any enforcement action based solely on the use of wooden shelves.”
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by Bill and Mary Weaver
Extension veterinarians like Dr. Ernest Hovingh get to see a lot of milking parlors over the years, and come to expect certain problems crop up. Dr. Hovingh has seen ways milkers could, but often don’t, prevent parlor-acquired mastitis. Let’s look at this potentially costly problem. (more…)
by Karl H. Kazaks
CULLEN, VA — “This was kind of the last piece of the puzzle,” said Charlotte County Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent Bob Jones, visiting one of the twice-weekly auctions at the new Southside Produce Auction facility.
The auction began in 2012, but its foundation was laid with a series of prior developments. An Amish community has been growing in Charlotte County for the past 15 years, with members coming from more developed communities in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The newcomers were used to living in places with a produce auction and hence knew the benefits of such a marketplace, though they themselves typically hadn’t been involved in growing produce. Throughout the county, though, more and more people were starting their own produce and horticulture operations. (more…)
by Steve Wagner
Where have Dorpers been all our lives? And now that they’re here, what can we do with them?
“Dorpers are a breed of sheep that have been in this country for about 20 years,” according to Doug Gillespie, executive secretary for the American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society, “and they are growing by leaps and bounds.” Dorpers are meat sheep originally bred in South Africa. Their most familiar trait is a totally black head on an otherwise white body. The Dorper breed is a successful crossing of Dorset and Persian sheep, using the first three letters of each to coin the name. “You’re seeing a huge Dorper influence in the lamb industry in this country today,” Gillespie continued. “They are extremely fast maturing sheep and they are easy keepers. They don’t have to be sheared because they are what we call a shedding breed. They do grow some fuzz, but they shed it off as the weather warms up, which saves the cost of shearing.” Parenthetically, Gillespie notes that wool is so depressed in the American market that it hardly covers the cost of shearing. And shearers are hard to find. Gillespie also says Dorpers are the future of the sheep business. (more…)
by Bill and Mary Weaver
A previous edition of Country Folks provided information from a seminar given by Dr. Ernest Hovingh at the Penn State Mastitis and Milk Quality Conference on the importance of recognizing the different pathogens that cause mastitis in dairy cows so the appropriate treatment can be implemented. A continuation of that list and insight on how to prevent mastitis can be found below. (more…)
by Jon M. Casey
For Victor and Gina Woskob, converting an existing, dormant dairy facility into a thriving beef feedlot seemed like the ideal way to grow their family’s Countryside Farm near Port Matilda, PA. Having moved back to central Pennsylvania from Boynton Beach, FL, where they owned and operated a site contracting business, the Woskobs purchased this farm in December 2012. Since then, they have been fulfilling their dream of returning to farming after their time in the South. (more…)
by Sanne Kure-Jensen
Many states are growing new farms and farmers, according to preliminary reports from the recent USDA agricultural census. Consumer support of local farmers continues to grow. Farmers markets, direct sales and agritourism help make farming a viable occupation in many regions.
In her recent webinar called “Starting a Farm,” Rachel Armstrong of farmcommons.org explained how to establish a new farm business. She covered legal issues of starting a new farm, such as buying land and equipment, leasing, forming a business, buying insurance and protecting the farm. (more…)
As dairy farmers, we need to learn to manage mastitis using a whole arsenal of information rather than routinely treating all our mastitis cases with antibiotics. One step in intelligently managing mastitis, according to Dr. Ernest Hovingh of Penn State, is to learn to culture the organisms causing mastitis on your farm. Which organisms are causing mastitis is one important piece of information you’ll need to figure out the best way to manage your mastitis cases. (more…)
by Jon M. Casey
Approximately 50 CSA farm owners gathered to participate in a daylong program presented by Penn State Extension and Dickinson College covering important aspects of CSA Farming, including food safety, finances and finding shareholders. The notable Jean-Paul Courtens of Roxbury Farm of Kinderhook, NY began the day with a presentation reminding attendees of the importance of staying the course with the CSA business model while also allowing change to improve profitability and customer service. (more…)
by Sally Colby
When Mark Bray was growing up in North Carolina, he and his grandmother made a deal: they saved some discarded flue-cured tobacco, sold it, and split the profit.
“That got me a little bit of money,” said Mark, who also had a small plot of tobacco of his own. “When you’re in the seventh grade, that’s the most money you can ever imagine having. But I wanted a calf so bad that I saved my money and bought a heifer.” (more…)
by Karl H. Kazaks
Recently the NRCS hosted a seminar on the soil health and production benefits of mob grazing. Over 400 people from around the country joined to listen to Doug Peterson, Missouri’s State Soil Health Specialist (and past State Grazing Specialist), speak about the practice.
Peterson, who farms in northern Missouri said in many parts of the country soils have been degraded. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
The United States has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions and has almost reached its 2020 goal. There is still a long way to go to meet the goals set for 2050. The use of biomass products will play a large role in reaching this goal, and today’s farmers are gearing up production of alternative fuel sources such as switchgrass, willow and other plant-based crops to be harvested for fuel use. (more…)
by Kegley Baumgardner
The United States Team Penning Association held their Region 8 competition in Austinville, VA on Friday, April 25, through Sunday, April 27. The host of the event was Diamond K Arena, owned and operated by Larry and Tammy Keith. The Keiths offer training, lessons and sell horses at their facility. (more…)
by Sally Colby
A group of women work their way around the ring, each one thinking about their next move. Each will take a turn at a series of low jumps while the others wait their turn. Kim, their instructor, provides both encouragement and correction as she watches each rider go.
Kim owns and operates Fox Meadow Farm in Haymarket, VA, and in addition to her young riders, has a substantial number of adult students. (more…)
